Relief agency helps city cope with sanitation problems
11/19/2003 News media contact: Tim Tanton · (615) 742-5470 · Nashville, Tenn. This
story is part of a weeklong Close Up series on how the United Methodist
Church is helping Liberia recover from war. Photographs, video reports
and other features are available. By Joni Goheen* MONROVIA,
Liberia (UMNS) - Upon arriving at work, the first thing Kerry Sly
noticed after stepping out of his Toyota pickup truck was the foul aroma
of human waste, the kind of smell one experiences when passing an
overflowing portable toilet that has fermented in the sun for days.
It
wasn't a pleasant odor, and the task at hand was equally nasty. But
thanks to Sly and his crew, by the end of the day, the public latrine
serving hundreds in a neighborhood outside Liberia's capital was
tolerable.
Personal hygiene and sanitation topics are delicate
issues to tackle, made even more so in the undignified atmosphere of the
aftermath of war. There is little privacy, and running water,
electricity and sewage disposal are largely unavailable.
Sly is
the outspoken and passionate head of mission work in Liberia for the
United Methodist Committee on Relief. Raised in rural South Dakota, Sly
has been involved with African issues for years and has been working
with the relief agency in Liberia for more than two years.
"When
I came to Africa in 1985, I came straight out of South Dakota
University looking for something to do that involved agriculture," he
said. "I joined the United States Peace Corps and went to Burkina Faso
to work as an agricultural manager, and the bug bit me. I saw there were
great needs in Africa, and I knew my skills and abilities could be used
somewhere besides in an office in downtown New York or Minneapolis."
Under
Sly's direction, the United Methodist Committee on Relief is involved
in agriculture, health, rehabilitation, small clinics and education. For
the moment, it is assisting other agencies with sanitation issues.
"The
whole infrastructure of Monrovia collapsed years ago, due to lack of
maintenance, funding," Sly said. "With the lack of a functioning sewer
system, this UMCOR truck is one of the most vital links you have to
keeping the environment and communities healthy and safe.
"There
were supposed to be four or five (trucks), but to date, UMCOR has the
only functional liquid-waste-management truck. Others have been
promised, but there have been many delays."
The cleanup crew has
worked with the relief agency for three years and "is proud to help the
communities in this way," Sly said. "The communities quite often don't
understand the importance of hygiene and taking care of these toilets.
These guys know very well. They have also educated their home
communities about the need for safe and hygienic environment."
Teaching
sanitary practices is effective in controlled situations such as
displacement camps, but few facilities are available for people living
on the streets. It is not uncommon to see men relieving themselves along
the roadside. Behavior like this is a result of war and other
circumstances, and Liberians say they are embarrassed by it.
"I
think the people of Liberia are by nature good people," Sly said. "I've
talked to older Europeans and Americans who have refused to leave
Liberia. They said that if you could have seen the Liberia of the 1980s,
you would be amazed and confused at how it could have degenerated into
this situation."
With only one operating sanitation truck, the
agency faces more needs than can possibly be addressed. Simply obtaining
fuel can be a challenge. Is fuel available for purchase? Is there
enough money to purchase more? A gallon of gas was selling for $3
recently, down considerably from $30 in August.
When Sly came to
Liberia more than two years ago, the relief agency owned the truck he is
using today, but it fell into disrepair. With no money to fix it, the
truck was sold and is now leased back at the rate of $4,000 per month. A
great deal more funding is required to keep things going. However, Sly and his crew are making a difference in the quality of life, one neighborhood at a time.
Climbing
back into his truck after one such stop, Sly commented on his mission.
"After 18 years in Africa, I love Africa," he said. "… I want to be
part of something good, and I want to help Africa at the same time." # # # *Goheen is a freelance writer living in Morrison, Colo.
Tomorrow: The church begins rebuilding the educational system.
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